Why some are wearing orange during the National Walk Out

FILE PHOTO: Students participate in a protest against gun violence February 21, 2018 outside the White House in Washington, DC.

Alex Wong

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When students across the US walk out of class for 17 minutes today, many of them will be wearing orange.

It's more than just a simple choice in clothing — it's meant to send a powerful message.

The color choice dates back to at least 2013 when 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton was shot and killed in Chicago. Hadiya was an honor student who was killed in a case of mistaken identity -- a week after she performed at one of the events surrounding President Obama's second inauguration.

Her parents, Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton and Nathaniel Pendleton, picked the color orange to honor her and to call for gun reform.

Why? It's what hunters wear to protect themselves — from other hunters.

"Orange is what hunters wear in the woods to protect themselves and others from harm. Orange is a bright, bold color that demands to be seen. Orange expresses our collective hope as a nation — a hope for a future free from gun violence."

The group published a video that ends with the quote "So tell me, can you see me now?"

Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun-control advocacy nonprofit, learned of the movement and brought it to the national level.